The Key(s) To Customer Service

(I usually work the electronics department, but I’ve stepped into the main toy section to show a customer where an item is located. Another customer gets my attention.)

Customer: “Can you tell me where [line of dolls] are?”

Me: “I’m not familiar with those dolls, but if we do carry them, they’ll be in [aisle numbers].”

Customer: “Well, the other girl said that you don’t have them!”

Me: “We probably don’t, then. It’s been a very busy morning and we’re sold out of a lot of popular items.”

Customer: “Can’t you look it up on that doodad of yours?”

(The customer gestures at the set of keys in my hand, which have a large black magnetic key attached to them.)

Me: “Ma’am, I’m afraid I don’t have my handheld scanner, but if you give me a moment I can go to the electronics department—”

Customer: “No, that doodad in your hand!”

Me: *as gently as possible* “Ma’am, these are my keys, not my handheld.”

Customer: “I have had it with this store! This is the worst customer service! I will inform your manager that you refused to serve me!”

(Later, my manager drops by.)

Manager: “Did you try to help a very grumpy old woman?”

Me: “Yeah, and she was mad that I couldn’t use my keys to look up an item.”

Manager: “I’m not surprised. She complained about you, and then wanted me to help her find a doll in an ad. I pointed out that it was an ad for a competitor and that the doll was marked as that [Competitor]’s exclusive item. She told me she’d just come from there and they didn’t have any more, so what was I going to do about it? I told her nothing, since we’re not [Competitor]. Last I saw she was leaving her cart and walking out of the store complaining about how employees these days have no sense of what customer service really means.”